THOUGHTS FROM SPECIAL FORCES DAYS
By SGM BILLY WAUGH
This piece, 'Closing Reflections,' I wrote about four years ago, prior to the publications of Hunting The Jackal, thus the words.
Closing Reflections:
The very reason I wished this book to be published is to tell you of some wonderful actions I have had the pleasure to be involved in over a 58-year period. (Billy is talking about writing another book).
I must say that being a hero has not entered my mind, for a good combat man as I see it, is one who has control of his wits regardless of the intensity of the action. I do not believe there is a hero hiding inside any man. I believe that some men are able to think, act, and react quickly enough in combat – to appear – and rightfully so - to be a hero.
To me, heroes are the lads who successfully complete paragraph II of the Field Operations Order. This is: TO COMPLETE THE MISSION regardless of the enemy counter-action, and to then - prepare for the next mission.
I’ve witnessed young men, both U.S. and Indigenous, whom constantly were in control of the battle area. These men were in control of the battle area, for they were able to perform rationally - then react instantaneously - in deadly combat.
I watched a Special Forces Sergeant First Class who, while under enemy fire and while crossing a flooded stream, rescued one his Montagnards ( a non-swimmer) as he went deep under the water and was swept downstream. All the while this SFC disregarded heavy enemy fire, threw down his weapon, and brought this Montagnard up from certain death, successfully breathing life back into the lungs of the Montagnard – this was in 1963.
I herded the lads into Co Roc mountain range – West of Khe Sanh - as we recovered the bodies of two of our first Special Forces SOG lads killed in action. Those men entered Laos to seek out the NVA because this was their mission – this was in 1966.
I’ve witnessed U.S. pilots of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters who have bowling balls for gonads. Pilots who would fly through a wall zinging of green-tracer steel to save a fallen Special Forces soldier or Montagnard who was down in the battle area.
I have witnessed our mercenary pilots from the 219th Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) who worked for SOG, and whom constantly astounded me with their lack of regard for their own safety (which equals bravery), as these pilots flew / drove their helicopters through the trees along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, chopping down trees and branches as they strived to save a Recon Team in trouble - or a solitary “friendly” on the ground.
I have witnessed pilot Nguyen Van Houng (affectionately known as Mustachio) who placed his knuckles into the gaping gunshot wound through his own neck to stop the bleeding - as he flew his H-34 out of the battle area, saving the life of SFC Harry Brown (now deceased from natural causes) in 1967.
I was aboard an H-34 Kingbee when the same Mustachio slammed through more than 20 trees in Target Oscar–8 as we rescued three Vietnamese crew members from a downed bird in 1967.
I worked with a black Special Forces medic named SFC Jimmy Scurry whom, when I told him to grab his gear, for we were going on a Silver Star rescue jokingly said, “Damn Billy, let’s make it the Distinguished Service Cross!” SFC Jimmy Scurry is a true and pure combat man – a true hero, for he kept his wits under fire. This was in 1967.
I saw the same Jimmy Scurry carry Mustachio, who had been gravely wounded through the neck, into an emergency U.S. military hospital tent at Khe Sanh in Vietnam and when told “We don’t treat Vietnamese in this emergency tent” Jimmy Scurry grabbed the military medical man and said, “You are going to treat this Vietnamese Pilot, or I will whip your ass out of this tent.” Mustachio was treated immediately, for Jimmy Scurry was very large and very mean. Mustachio lived to fly again, although he was subsequently shot down and captured, becoming a POW, never returning from captivity. This happened in 1967.
I worked with a man named Manuel ‘Manny’ Bustamante, whom I told via radio - to drop into the battle area from a CH-53 hoist, alone, to search for a missing SF Recon man by the name of Flora who, (unknown to us) had already been captured. Did Manny Bustamante argue or hesitate to go down that hoist by himself? Not on your goddamned life! He dropped into the battle area alone, searched for not less than one hour - in an attempt to locate and pick up SSG Flora, for SSG Flora was an SF man – as was Manny Bustamante. The year was 1967.
I worked with an American Recon men named Charles Jenkins and ‘Skip’ Minnicks (our best POW snatchers), who ordered an H-34 ‘Kingbee’ to land among a group of ‘hootches’ along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in broad daylight. Jenkins and Minnicks ran to one of the hootches, kicked the door in, and dragged out a NVA, and the NVA’s weapon - threw him on the helicopter, and flew away with this newly acquired POW. This was in 1967.
Gonads, not the size of bowling balls . . . the size of medicine balls.
I watched as SSG Lester Pace lowered himself into the battle area of Oscar-8 to pick up SFC Charles Wilklow who, though gravely wounded, had managed to evade the NVA. Did Lester Pace argue with me about completing this action? Not on your life, for he was a Special Forces man and a SOG man who did as he was told. Wilklow lived though seriously wounded in action. This was in 1967.
I know a H-34 helicopter pilot named Nguyen An, who actually lifted a downed HU-1D helicopter that had fallen into a river with the wheel of his own helicopter before it was washed away by the current, all the while under relentless enemy fire. This act saved the life of three U.S. personnel aboard that HU-1D helicopter. This was in 1968. (Nguyen An eventually lost both of his hands as a result of combat action in the war.)
I was standing next to SFC Bruce Luttrell, talking over a plan of action, when he was hit by shrapnel. I dragged his body out of the line of fire but could do nothing to close the gaping head wound, as a result of which he later died of the grievous injuries to his brain. This was in 1969.
I know and actually rescued then-SSG Sammy Hernandez who, while being lifted from the battle area and dangling on a climbing rope beneath the helicopter as it lifted – was shot from the skies as the rope snapped, allowing him to drop back into the battle area, alive. Sammy H maintained his wits . . . escaped and evaded for a lengthy period, eventually to be rescued from the area by signaling with his trusty emergency signal mirror. Sammy Hernandez is a true Special Forces man who continued combat actions for several years after this rescue. The year was 1970.
Heroes are made of men who stay focused in battle.
Heroes are men who immediately concoct - then execute a plan when the enemy interferes with his intended actions.
I worked with Special Forces ODA 594 in Afghanistan and saw these fine young men continue to display the mettle it takes to win battles. I watched as Special Forces-led anti-Taliban forces, using the Close Air Support (CAS) provided so wonderfully by the United States Air Force, defeated the Taliban and al Qaeda in three months. These were the same Taliban who had fought the Russians to a standstill for nine (9) years! Hoorah! for the U.S. Army Special Forces and Hoorah! for the U.S. Air Force and their ground units working with SF. Year was 2001-2002
Our men kicked Saddam Hussein’s tail in less than 3 months and now Saddam and his sons are history. We have our problems, especially with the media, who are most anxious to divide Americans. All I can say – lad and lasses is, “Stay focused.”
From 1954 to the year 2007, I have been around the U.S. Army Special Forces. We (SF) had to battle to remain in existence in 1956, then again in 1972, for the Generals at the highest levels of the U.S. Army, i.e., the Chief of Staff, wished Special Forces to be abolished.
Successful Special Forces Team deployments to over 130 nations, where the A-Teams (ODAs) have instructed, assisted, led, and medically cared for indigenous forces, turned the old dissenting Generals – with their terrible hate for Special Forces, into retirees – for men of vision prevailed.
Now, in the year 2008 – time and time again -the U.S. Army Special Forces have proven to the dissenters in the U.S. Military High Command – that the “Special” in the title Special Forces – means something / with the right to be called “Special.”
The men I have mentioned – SFC Manuel Bustamante (Deceased 2008)
SSG Sammy Hernandez
MSG Charles Minnicks/SGT Jenkins
SFC Bruce Luttrell (KIA 1969)
SGT Lester Pace
SFC Jimmy Scurry
VN Pilot Nguyen Van Houng (MIA)
VN Pilot Nguyen An (Double amputee)
are true heroes, for these men kept their wits in combat, saved lives, then, continued the battle.
I have never heard a Special Forces soldier say when assigned a very difficult mission, “I am not going to do that.” I have always heard the SF Team say, “Let’s get it on, let’s go men!”
There is a wonderful stone near the Unknown Soldiers’ tombs in Arlington Cemetery, dedicated to the Special Operations Forces. This marble stone, which is flush to the ground, is located just north of the tombs. Etched on this beautiful grey marble are the words from Isaiah 6-13 (slightly modified by me) which reads, “And the Lord said, who will go, who will fight for me,” and the young SF man, who was with his family stepped away from his family saying, “I will go, send me.” The Lord took the SF Soldier – he was then gone from life on earth – forever.
